Something Borrowed Something Blue Something's Cursed-What Else is New?
by jarienn972
Summary: Let's imagine that the lovely lift kiss at the end of S5 was actually a proposal and that Emma and Killian's wedding took place much earlier in S6 under the threat of who we expected to be the big bad - the Evil Queen, not the Black Fairy. In this story, I've re-imagined the wedding taking place amidst precautions that were intended prevent the Evil Queen from interrupting.


**Written as part of the Captain Swan Little Bang on Tumblr**.

 _Let's imagine that the lovely lift kiss at the end of S5 was actually in response to a proposal and that Emma and Killian's wedding took place much earlier in S6 under the threat of who we expected to be the big bad - the Evil Queen, not the Black Fairy. In this story, I've re-imagined the wedding taking place amidst precautions that were intended prevent the Evil Queen from interrupting, but maybe her plans weren't to interrupt the ceremony at all? Her wedding "gift" just might be a bigger challenge than any of our heroes expected._

Staring at herself in the full length cheval mirror set up in Regina's office, Emma still couldn't shake her somewhat dumbfounded sensation from realizing that this day had finally come. After weeks of delays and postponements, her wedding day was finally here.

 _Her_ wedding day.

Weeks of planning, worrying, fantasizing and, _yes,_ changing every detail of the ceremony, were coming together at last, and Emma was fiercely determined that this would finally come to fruition. They'd already had to cancel once and had agreed to downsize – much to her mother's chagrin. Now the plan was just a simple, civil ceremony in Storybrooke Town Hall, which both Regina and Zelena had assisted in fortifying with a protection spell barrier. The Evil Queen and her cohorts were not going to spoil this day.

But something was still nagging at Emma as she stood there contemplating her reflection and admiring the delicate snowy white lace dress with its tea length sweeping skirt. The lovely sweetheart neckline was revealing enough to ensure she'd have her soon to be husband's full attention, yet demure enough to suit a princess.

"Emma, honey, you look absolutely beautiful!" her mother exclaimed. Emma had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed her mother standing next to her.

"Thanks, Mom," Emma said with a weak smile and a subtle shake of her head. "Something just doesn't feel right though…"

"Oh, Emma – you're not getting cold feet, are you?" Snow wondered.

"Oh, god no!" Emma replied, unable to fathom why her mother would ask that question. "How can you even think that?"

"Are you worried about the ceremony getting interrupted by the Evil Queen?" Snow thought that perhaps the fear of history repeating itself had her daughter on edge.

"Of course I'm worried, but I've been worried about her since the first moment we knew she was back, and I am _not_ letting her delay my wedding again. It's just this dress…"

"The dress is stunning. You look amazing, my dear!" Emma knew Snow was doing the best to encourage her, but it wasn't helping.

"It's just not quite right. I can't really put my finger on it, but…oh, I don't know…" Emma tugged at the skirt with a scowl on her face. It was a beautiful dress, but… "Regina, help me out here."

"It is a lovely dress," Regina spoke up without moving from her desk chair. "But I have to agree – something is missing."

"Thank you," Emma replied, running her hands over her hips to smooth out the lace. "I just can't quite figure out what that is…"

"Maybe it's just the dress itself," Regina stated. "Here…"

With the slightest wave of her fingers, Regina transformed Emma's wedding gown into a magical masterpiece. The lace was replaced with iridescent chiffon that reflected every color of the spectrum like a fairy's wings. Layers of shimmering organza overlapped to fill out the skirt, like petals of an upside down tulip. The bodice, draped across her bosom and shoulders, dripped with sparkling jewels that looked like shiny dewdrops against the fabric. It was truly the fairytale gown that every little girl saw in her dreams, and the regal look was completed with a delicate crystal tiara that sat atop Emma's upswept, pale blonde locks.

"Oh, Emma…" Snow gushed. She'd never seen her daughter look more like a princess than she did at this very moment. Even their beautiful gowns from Camelot couldn't hold a candle to this picture perfect creation.

"Regina – this is stunning!" Emma stammered - her mouth was agape with amazement as she stared at her own image. "I hadn't really thought about a magical wedding dress, but _wow!_ Thank you!"

"What difference does it make if it's magical?" Regina asked. "It's a wedding gown. You wear it for a few hours to become the center of attention. And I promise you, no one will be able to take their eyes off of you in that gown."

"I'm only really concerned about one set of eyes," Emma said, realizing after the words left her tongue that her cheeks were flushing.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about there," Regina reminded her with a markedly over-dramatic eye-roll. "I doubt the pirate will even remember to blink. Now, let's do something about _our_ attire…" she continued as she turned toward Snow White. "This ceremony may be small and informal, but it doesn't mean we can't wear something special too."

"I guess I figured I'd leave that up to you both," Emma told them. "With such a small ceremony, I didn't really expect anything elaborate."

"In that case…" Regina snapped her fingers and instantly transformed her business-like blazer and pencil skirt into a sleek, ebony column dress that reached just below her knees.

"Regina, really? You are _not_ wearing a black dress to my _wedding_ ," Emma stated.

"Fine," Regina muttered as she rolled her eyes yet again while giving her hand a quick flourish through the air, changing the color of the dress into a vibrant, deep plum hue. "Is this better?"

"Much. I can handle the purple," Emma replied as she glanced over at her mother's simple skirt and blouse. "What about you, Mom?"

"I really don't know…" Snow said with a sigh.

"Allow me," Regina told her, fluttering her fingers through the air once more to give the mother of the bride a lovely pale peach frock with a not _too_ daring draped neckline and a bodice that was fitted at the waist. It flared into a full circle skirt which was surprisingly not unlike the rose pink dress Emma had worn on her first official date with Killian.

"It's perfect," Snow smiled graciously as she caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror before wrapping her arms around her daughter's waist with a bubbly bounce. "Thank you! Everything is going to be perfect for my baby's big day!"

"Mom, please remember where we live," Emma reminded her, not quite feeling the same level of happiness her mother was experiencing. "I really don't want to jinx things. I just want to get through this ceremony, even if everything doesn't go exactly as planned." She continued to admire her dress in the mirror even as she chastised her mother a bit. As beautiful as the dress was though, she found herself still struggling to grasp why the little voice in the back of her head kept telling her it wasn't right.

And then it dawned on her.

"I know what this is missing!" Emma grinned broadly as she wriggled her fingers in front of her midsection. Instantly, a pitch-black leather, corseted waist cincher appeared atop the organza and chiffon, laced with a blood red ribbon. It stood out in stark contrast to the rest of the gown, yet at the same time, it completed it.

"Interesting choice of accessory," Regina tilted her head, looking quizzically at Emma's addition to the gown. "I've worn many a corset in my day, but black leather on your wedding dress - and after you scolded me for choosing jet black attire earlier?"

"Well, I am marrying a pirate," Emma's emerald green eyes sparkled as she responded, a broad smile stretching across her face. "Now I look like a pirate's princess."

"Certainly can't argue with you there," Regina smirked.

* * *

Just down the corridor from Regina's office in a small meeting room off the main hall, Killian found himself pacing impatiently. They were so close to finally making this a reality. So close to finally being husband and wife, yet with the Evil Queen's threat lurking, he couldn't help but be a bit apprehensive. Until vows were said and done, their happy ever after marriage seemed like an unreachable dream. He glanced to his left at his soon-to-be stepson who was hyper-focused on some electronic device. _Oh, to be that_ _distracted right now_ , Killian thought, a wide grin forming on his lips as he recalled how he'd made the lad's day when he'd asked Henry to be his best man. He'd never once doubted his choice, and the boy had proudly accepted without hesitation.

In fact, Henry had been quite helpful in choosing Killian's attire for the occasion, knowing without any uncertainty that a traditional suit and tie wouldn't have felt or looked right on the pirate, nor would it have been true to Killian Jones himself.

So they'd compromised.

Killian had sacrificed some of his signature leather for a more regal, claret red coat, fashioned from a finely textured soft wool. Everything else was his preferred jet black hue, starting with the cuffs and lapels of the coat, which were the only touch of leather (aside from his boots and belt) that he'd allowed. He'd gone with a more modern pair of black trousers made from some strange fabric called polyester. It was quite a different look and feel from what he was used to, and he wasn't really sure he was agreeable with it. At least the silk shirt with its pearlized buttons and the double breasted brocade vest, accented with a silver chain across his abdomen, were more to his liking. Overall, he didn't exactly feel like himself, but he'd do anything to please his princess, and if her young prince approved of this attire, it was good enough for him.

But while Killian was mentally grumbling about modern clothing, he was interrupted by a rap on the door, which then cracked open a few inches as David poked his head into the meeting room. "You about ready?" he asked Killian.

"I've been ready, Mate," the pirate replied with a touch of sarcasm. "No sign of the queen?"

David stepped inside and pushed the door closed behind him. He looked every bit the role of a modern day prince in his midnight blue suit that matched his grandson's.

"No one's reported any sightings of her yet," David replied as he finished buttoning his own white oxford shirt and straightened the cobalt blue tie that hung around his neck. Killian noticed that there were tiny pink flowers woven into the tie's design, but didn't comment. "But the sooner we can get to the ceremony, the better."

"Aye," the pirate replied. "We've wasted enough time waiting."

"You sound a little bit nervous," David said, noticing the trace of anxiety in his nearly son-in-law's voice. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

"About marrying Emma?" Killian was bewildered that the prince would dare think such nonsense. "None whatsoever. But about getting through all of this formality without interruption – yes. While I'd much rather be wedding my bride on the deck of the Jolly Roger for all to see, I do understand why we had to make these concessions, and now, we've never been closer to our own happy ending – or more correctly, our happy beginning. Pardon me for being a bit apprehensive, Mate. You and I both know what usually happens around here when Emma has even the slightest chance of being happy…"

"You really have to stop thinking about that – at least for today."

"And just how do you propose I do that? Emma is always going to be facing dangerous situations and it is my duty to protect her!"

"You do know that she doesn't see it that way, right?" David countered.

"It matters that _I_ do," Killian retorted, jaw set defiantly. "And you of all people should know that…"

The prince certainly couldn't argue with him on that point. As much as he and the obnoxious pirate failed to see eye to eye on things, there was absolutely no doubting that they each had Emma's best interests at heart. He just never imagined that he'd be minutes away from walking his daughter down the aisle to hand her over in marriage to Captain Hook of all people! Unfortunately for him, it was something that he would have to deal with on his own accord, as his opinion on the subject had ceased to matter the moment his daughter had said _Yes._ He knew deep down that Emma loved this man with every bit of her heart and soul, and there was no mistaking the fact that Killian would do anything – _anything_ – to protect her.

"Well, I'm going to go check on our ladies and see if they're ready. You and Henry should probably head out to the hall. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to get these _formalities_ out of the way soon."

"Thanks, Mate," Killian replied with an almost meek little grin, unable to fathom that this was really about to happen. There would always be a tiny part of him that believed this was merely a dream, because in what world would the amazing, precious jewel that was Emma Swan ever want to spend her life with Captain Hook?

Having heard over his music that it was almost time for the ceremony, Henry powered off his cell phone and shoved it into his pant pocket while standing up and tugging at the uncomfortable jacket of the suit his grandmother had insisted he wear. Killian smiled while watching him, knowing exactly how the lad felt.

"So, Killian – what exactly do I need to do as best man?" the teen asked.

"It's pretty simple," the pirate responded with a chuckle, noticing that the boy's necktie was a bit askew. "You stand next to me until the cricket asks about the rings, then you hand it to me so that I can place it on your mother's finger."

"That's it? Pretty sure I can handle that," Henry grinned, fishing the navy blue velvet ring box that his stepfather-to-be had entrusted him with from his jacket pocket. "Like this, right?" He proudly held up the box so that Killian could see it.

"Just like that, except that I'd greatly appreciate it if you would open it for me. I don't want to fumble with it while trying to open it with my hook…"

"I can do that for you," the teen laughed. Like his mother, he'd never been bothered by the fact that Killian was missing a hand, and he quite often forgot the fact that, while the pirate was pretty handy with that hook, it lacked the dexterity of fingers.

"Good lad! Now, come over here for a moment so I can fix that ribbon you're sporting about your neck."

"Ribbon? Oh – you mean my tie…"

"If that's what you call it. I'm more familiar with cravats, but I don't think it's supposed to look like that…"

"Probably not. I'm not really fond of them, but Grandma insisted." Killian smirked at the thought of Snow White exerting her influence over everyone's attire for the ceremony while he gave the boy a knowing pat on the shoulder. He then made a few adjustments to Henry's tie so it would lie straight. Her majesty's plans for a perfect royal wedding may have been thwarted, but she was still determined to make sure her daughter would have a day which was as perfect as possible under the circumstances.

"Come on. Time to head out to the main hall and await your mother's grand entrance," Killian said with a broad smile while giving the lad a playful shove toward the door.

Nerves be damned. Nothing was going to spoil this moment for Emma.

* * *

David rapped lightly on Regina's office door where his wife, daughter and the mayor herself had gathered to prepare for the ceremony. He was hoping they were nearly ready – not that he was trying to rush things, but the longer they dallied, the greater the chances of an interruption. "Are you ladies ready to go yet?" he called through the door.

Snow pulled it open cautiously, allowing just a few inches of space while she quickly glanced around to ensure that her husband was alone in the corridor. "You're by yourself?" she asked David skeptically.

"Of course," he smiled, admiring what he could see of his wife's dress through the narrow open space between the door and the frame. "I sent Hook and Henry out to the hall."

"Good," Snow replied as she pulled the door open a little further so David could enter. "I think we're pretty much ready. Just wait until you see our daughter!" she gushed, making Emma's cheeks flush with a hint of embarrassment. "She's never looked more beautiful!"

"Mom, you know I can hear you, right?" Emma sighed as her father stepped into the office. Snow quickly closed the door behind him just in case any wandering eyes were attempting to sneak a peek at the bride before the wedding.

"I think it's time then," David stated as his gaze shifted from his wife in her lovely peach dress to catch sight of his daughter. He had fully expected her to be the absolute epitome of _fairytale princess_ for her wedding day, even if they couldn't provide exactly the royal wedding she deserved. He honestly never expected his emotions to hit him so hard. His heart was leaping with both pride and pure joy as he stared at his baby girl in her shimmering gown. "Emma, sweetheart, you look absolutely amazing…" He thought he could hold back the tears, but one failed him.

"Everyone keeps telling me that," Emma blushed. "I'm just worried about getting down the aisle in these heels. I'm not exactly feeling my most coordinated today."

"Then I'll have to do my best to hold you up as I escort you down that aisle…" David paused mid-statement as a huge smile stretched across his face. "Never thought I'd hear myself say those words…"

"Dad…" Emma responded with an awkward grin, becoming more embarrassed.

"Well, I also never thought I'd be willingly handing you over to a pirate either," he chuckled, trying to keep the mood in the room light while not getting too choked up. Emma made her way across the room and threw her arms around her father's neck, hugging him tightly without saying a word. "And he's the luckiest damn pirate that ever lived!"

"As much as I hate to spoil this lovely father-daughter moment," Regina interrupted, "we need to get this ceremony started before my evil twin shows up and ruins everything."

"Regina's right," Snow stated, retrieving Emma's bouquet of a half-dozen roses, each the palest shade of pink and bound together with a white satin ribbon. As she passed the bouquet to her daughter, Snow stood there for a moment, making sure that everything was properly in place. She brushed a stray blonde tendril away from Emma's face as she asked one last question: "Are you ready?"

Looking directly into her mother's eyes, Emma nodded and replied confidently "I'm ready."

* * *

While the main town hall chamber hadn't been their first choice for a wedding venue on short notice, it provided a central, easily fortified location that was sheltered from prying eyes. Killian's first choice certainly would have been the deck of the Jolly Roger, but it was far too open. Even if they had attempted to cloak it as Cora had once done, anyone with magic – including the Evil Queen – would likely be able to see right through the spell, so they'd had to make due with alternatives.

As he and Henry stepped out of the small meeting room and into the large, open hall, Killian spotted Zelena sitting on a bench near the main doors with her infant daughter next to her, slumbering peacefully in some sort of carrying device. While he was still wary of the witch's allegiances, so far she'd been showing an active willingness to change for the better, and was in fact the one who'd enacted the protection spell around the building. She could just as easily have sided with her evil sister rather than Regina and the heroes, but as Killian knew from experience, the bond with a sibling could be a confusing thing. Of course, he'd never had to contend with two different versions of his brother – just two different brothers with the same given name.

His heart stung a bit as he thought of the farewell he'd shared with Liam in the Underworld. He was grateful that he'd been able to have those moments, and that the two most important people in his life had been able to meet – even if things hadn't gone quite as smoothly as they might have, obviously complicated by Hades' interference. Still, it was an introduction that never should have happened as it did, but then what in his life had ever gone normally? He chuckled to himself at the thought of how bizarre his nearly 300 year existence had been – especially the thought of where he stood at that very moment.

He was about to wed a woman he didn't think he would deserve if he'd had a thousand lifetimes to make amends, yet somehow the gods had deemed him worthy and believed they belonged together. He'd always thought that fate could be cruel, but as he'd learned since he'd first met Emma Swan, fate had a twisted sense of humor and an honor code all its own. For whatever it was worth, fate had brought him back to Emma over and over again, and today she was about to make an honorable man out of this once cutthroat pirate.

When he looked up again, his mind having drifted a bit further than he thought he'd allowed, he spied Regina walking toward them wearing a surprisingly tasteful deep purple dress. The thought crossed his mind that as mayor, she was fully authorized to officiate the ceremony - with the added benefit of being able to launch a fireball at anyone or anything that were to burst through those doors. But today, unless the Cricket didn't show, she would only be here as a witness.

"Surprised to see you wearing something that isn't black leather," Regina smirked as she approached. "It was a good choice that Henry made."

"Aye, the lad had excellent taste," Killian smiled at Henry, who was casually leaning against the wall while waiting. "I gather that we're soon to get things underway?"

"We are," she replied. "I was just going to locate Dr. Hopper. I suggest that you two get up to the front of the hall."

"Still seems inherently strange that I'm going to be married by a cricket," Killian said under his breath. Regina continued down the corridor, possibly ignoring him as she often did, but Henry clearly heard the quip.

"Archie's a good guy," Henry grinned, "and I'm pretty sure he's forgiven you for kidnapping him back when you were working with Cora. You're not the same Hook anymore."

"Part of me still is – always will be – but I've gotten far better at controlling those tendencies; otherwise, your mother would not have agreed to be my bride."

"No – probably not, but I'm glad she did. I'm glad she has you to make her happy."

Killian tousled the boy's hair, beaming with a mixture of pride and disbelief at Henry's statement. "Anyway, here come Mom and Archie…"

Despite their less than amicable history, Archie greeted Killian with a warm smile and a friendly handshake – a gesture the pirate returned heartily.

"Killian, I just heard that your bride is ready, so how about we get this underway?" Archie suggested. "I know we have a very short amount of time to get your nuptials completed."

"And in deference to time," Regina interrupted, turning to face the pirate, "you can skip the long, drawn-out vows. We all know how much you two love each other. Your actions toward each other have made that abundantly clear – you died for her, she went to Hell for you. We've got it. Keep it short."

"I'll try my best," Killian replied snidely, but at heart he knew Regina was right. Emma had shown him how much she loved him long before she mustered the courage to say the words and he, a man of action, had made his intentions clear long before he knew if the feeling was reciprocated.

"I'll go let David know," Regina stated, her heels clicking on the marble as she hurried toward her office.

Killian took a deep breath and swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. _No anxiety_ , he chided himself, reminded that he'd returned from the dead. No need to get nervous over his impending marriage - he just couldn't convince the beads of sweat forming at his temple. At least there wasn't a room full of guests sitting there watching tough guy Captain Hook act like a nervous school boy on his first date. The guest list had been severely curtailed and, in fact, the only actual "guest" was the lad's sweet young girlfriend, Violet. She was only there because Henry had threatened to sneak her in if they didn't agree, and so they'd compromised – Henry had to ask Violet's father for permission to have her attend. (The town was under threat of attack after all.) As long as no one told Henry that Emma had already cleared it with Violet's father, all would be fine.

He didn't even remember taking those last few steps toward the front of the hall, but when he glanced up at the far wall expecting to see only Zelena and her baby, he was surprised to see Snow White entering, and snapped to attention. In an instant, he was that young, wide-eyed lieutenant once again – especially when he caught the first glimpse of his bride.

For a man who'd been to Hell and back, both figuratively and literally, he knew he'd found his angel, and at that very moment, she couldn't have looked more the part. Here she was – his princess, his angel, _his Swan_. He had no words to describe the beauty he was witnessing, but in no way, did that mean he was unappreciative of her glistening gown or the significance of the tiara atop her head. All he could focus on was the sparkle in her emerald eyes, the rosy blush of her cheeks and the beaming smile across the ruby bow of her lips. He was transfixed – completely under her spell. How could he not be? She had changed his life in every way possible and now they were making the public pledge that they'd already made to each other: they would be together forever.

David could feel the dampness returning to his eyes as he escorted his daughter down the center aisle of the mostly empty hall. It may not have been the fairytale royal wedding that his princess was entitled to, but just seeing her so blissfully happy was all that really mattered. As they reached the front of the hall, Killian, who was ever the gentleman, held open the small, knee-high door in the railing that separated the citizen's seating area from the podium. But that was as far as David would go. Giving his daughter's arm a quick squeeze, he untangled his own arm from hers, then placed her hand into Killian's outstretched palm, smiling at them both. He couldn't bring himself to say a word – at least not anything he hadn't already confessed to each of them. He'd done his duty as father of the bride and now it was time for him to take his seat next to his own lovely wife as they formally welcomed another son into their family.

Allowing the little gate to swing shut once Emma and all of the billows of her gown were on his side of the railing, Killian at last permitted his eyes to meet hers before they both turned to face Archie. The pirate could feel his cheeks flushing as he stood there thinking to himself – _why the hell am I blushing?_ An almost shy little grin turned up the corners of her mouth as she took a sideways glance at her groom, admiring the very princely cut and stunning color of his coat.

"You're blushing," she whispered to him, not even realizing that she was doing the same.

"So are you, Swan," he chuckled. "You look…"

"I know," she replied softly, squeezing his hand tightly as though it were a promise that she'd never let go again. "So do you…"

* * *

As planned, Archie kept the ceremony short and very much to the point, allowing Emma and Killian to exchange short, simple vows, and at last, seal their commitment with a beautiful kiss in front of their family. As Archie formally introduced the couple, Killian found himself slightly unnerved to be announced as a newly-minted Prince. He had to poke himself with his own hook to remind himself that this was all real. Here in Storybrooke, he might be marrying the town Sheriff, but were they ever to return to the Enchanted Forest, he would officially be Prince Killian as he was now wed to the mesmerizing Princess Emma of Misthaven. And it wasn't lost on him that one day, she would rule that kingdom as Queen. How the hell was this real?

Hoping to keep the appearance of events as normal as possible, everyone changed back into their regular attire and left Storybrooke Town Hall at different times. The newlyweds were the last to depart, trying to decide whether it was better to take Emma's yellow Bug and drive home or just allow her to poof them back to their house, which might be less conspicuous. It wouldn't be the first time she'd left the Bug parked somewhere while running off to attend to one fiasco or another, so she doubted it would draw any extra attention now. Killian scooped her up into his arms after settling on the decision to return for the car later, and with a wave of her hand and a flurry of grey smoke, they materialized on the front porch of their home.

"I do believe that the tradition in this world is for me to carry you over the threshold," Killian stated, "but could I get a little help with the door, Love?"

Emma laughed as she unlocked the door with a flick of her wrist and gave it a little unseen push so it would swing open.

"Better?"

"Much," he replied as he pulled her tighter to him, dipping his head to kiss his new wife as he stepped through the doorway. "Welcome home, Mrs. Jones…"

"Mrs. Jones…?" she repeated, realizing at that moment that she hadn't really given any thought to the probability of changing her name. Killian gently placed her feet on the hardwood floor once they cleared the door frame, but he had a slightly confused and moderately disappointed expression on his face when she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Swan. I just remembered that we hadn't really had any time to discuss whether you intended to change your surname. I didn't mean to push you towards that decision…"

"It's okay." She grinned at his adorable awkwardness. "I've spent most of my life with a name I had to give myself because I didn't think anyone wanted me. Now I have the chance to have a name given to me by you – out of love and chosen purely by us. It will take some getting used to but I think that Mrs. Emma Jones has a very nice ring to it…"

"Aye, that it does," he assured her, a confident, cocky smirk now curling his lips. The insecurity was pushed to the wayside, but as he eagerly brought his mouth to hers, they were both instantly caught off guard by an unexpected surprise.

They weren't alone.

"Aww… aren't you two so sweet?" a voice resounded from across the parlor - _an all too familiar voice._ "So sweet; it's almost sickening…"

Emma and Killian both glanced over at the matching pair of armchairs positioned next to the window which overlooked their garden. They already knew who their unwelcome visitor was, but neither of them was quite certain what to do next. Killian bristled at the sight of the Evil Queen, who was seated so casually in one of those chairs, and found himself wishing his cutlass were within reach as his defensive mode kicked in. The Queen had a blissfully smug smile on her face as she stood, taking a step towards them. Emma's blood was boiling as the intruder sauntered across the hardwood floor, the hem of her elaborately beaded ebony gown brushing against the planks.

"What are you doing here?" Emma demanded, drawing her hands up in her own defensive pose, ready to strike back should either of them be threatened. "And how the hell did you get inside our house?"

"You really think that after all these years practicing magic, I couldn't figure my way around a simple protection spell?" the Queen grinned. "And besides, aren't I allowed to extend my congratulations on your marriage? I mean, generally it is customary to invite fellow royalty to a Princess' wedding; not that it was such a lavish occasion… At least you didn't end up getting married in a field like your parents."

"So, you knew about the ceremony?" Killian asked, shifting slightly towards the door as it slammed shut behind them.

"Of course, I knew," the Queen stated. "It wasn't exactly the town's best kept secret. The entire Charming family disappears from sight as my sister enacts a protection barrier around the Town Hall. It wasn't difficult to figure out what was going on, although I do give you credit for having the tenacity to go through with it while everyone was afraid of me interrupting your ceremony just like I did all those years ago on the day of your mother's Royal Wedding. But honestly, that would have been so passe of me. I actually wanted you two lovebirds to wed, because it makes what I have planned for you so much more poetic…"

Emma knew they were both in danger as she unleashed a blast of magic towards the Queen, only to have it quickly deflected away as the echo of the sorceress' demented chortle filled the room.

"Get the hell out of my home!" Emma shouted, ready to fire a second blast.

"Please - your magic is no match for me," the Queen chuckled, vanishing for a moment, only to reappear directly behind Killian. As she raised her manicured hand, unseen fingers began to tighten around the pirate's throat. He brought his hand up, trying to claw away whatever force was cutting off his air supply, but there was nothing touching his skin except for his own fingers. Emma froze, jaw dropping in horror as she watched her new husband struggling to breathe. "Well, now I believe I have your attention."

"Don't hurt him," Emma pleaded, lowering her hands. "I'll do whatever you want; just let him go…"

"Emma, don't…" Killian begged of her, struggling to get the words out. Whatever the Queen was planning would likely end with his death one way or another. The last thing he wanted was to have his bride putting herself in further peril for his sake.

The Queen playfully taunted them, tightening her grip around his throat and grinning gleefully as his face contorted in agony while Emma watched helplessly. She didn't dare strike for fear of hitting Killian.

"What do you want from me?" Emma implored, not yet ready to ease her stance.

"What do I want from you?" the Queen hissed as she turned her attention towards the blonde woman, standing there in her billowing wedding gown. Emma Swan - the woman who'd broken the Evil Queen's curse, the woman who was Snow White's grown daughter - was clearly outmatched, but still defiant. "I made a promise to Snow White long ago that I would _destroy_ her happiness, but even after curses, after tearing her away from her daughter and stripping her of her memories, she _still_ managed to find her happiness. Time after time, I watched her find her infuriating happiness, but this time - this time, I found a way to get my satisfaction and make good on my promise, because now I can destroy Snow White through her daughter!"

Emma swallowed hard, realizing they were likely trapped. If she tried to retaliate, the Queen would crush Killian's throat. All she could hope for was that, whatever the Evil Queen's plans for them were, her family would do as they always did and find a way to reverse it.

"Let Killian go and I will do whatever you want," Emma relented, hoping that if the Evil Queen had planned on killing either of them, she would have done it by now. Clearly, she had something else in mind.

"I knew you'd come around," the sorceress cackled, loosening her invisible noose from the pirate's neck, but not letting go just yet as she extended her left arm toward Emma, a tiny glass vial materializing in her palm. "A very special sleeping curse. Take it willingly and I'll let your pirate live."

"Emma, don't do this," Killian pleaded with her, but he could already read the expression on her face. Emma's mind was already made up and she snatched the offered potion from the Queen's outstretched hand. She held it warily for a moment while the Queen stood there gloating with eager anticipation, and as Emma's eyes locked with Killian's, she popped the cork stopper from the vial and brought it to her lips as she mouthed an _I Love You_ to her husband of less than an hour. A single swallow of the potion was all it took to render the intended result, and he could only close his eyes as his love dropped to the floor, succumbing to a deep sleep. He knew there was no way the Evil Queen would have placed Emma under a sleeping curse that he could easily break with a True Love's Kiss unless she had something equally sinister planned for him, and he was about to find out as the Queen returned her attentions to him.

"Well, that was actually much easier than I'd imagined," she said with the smug little grin returning to her blood red lips.

"Get on with it then," he spat. "I know you've no intention of letting me live as long as I can wake her."

"Oh, Captain," she laughed, unimpressed by his bravado in the face of certain death. "Do you really think that I intend to let you off that easily? Killing you would be far too simple. I have something far more memorable planned for you…"

Her cool, calculated demeanor was disconcerting as he tried to envision what awful fate she'd plotted for him, knowing that another separation from Emma would likely be far worse than death. Little did he know her actual plan wasn't to separate the newlyweds at all - a fact that came upon him in sudden realization as a six-inch long, razor sharp spindle from an ancient spinning wheel materialized in her hand. The reality of it just struck him too late, the point jabbing into the nape of his neck, causing him to tumble to the floor beside his bride.

"Now, isn't that a lovely wedding portrait?" the Evil Queen chuckled as she admired her handiwork. Snow White's Savior daughter and her pirate groom were now joined in eternal slumber. There would be no True Love's Kiss for these two, and she'd made certain that the Charmings' meddling wouldn't prevail either. Her wicked laughter echoed throughout the entire house as she vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving the newlyweds sprawled on their own parlor floor.

* * *

As she stepped through the doorway to their loft, Snow breathed a sigh of relief. Her daughter's wedding had gone uninterrupted. It was all they could have hoped for under the circumstances since Emma had fully intended to go ahead with her marriage despite the Evil Queen's threats. Why should Emma have to postpone her happiness again? She and Killian had fought hard for this day and they deserved it. So, as a family, they'd found a way to make it happen and Snow couldn't have been prouder.

"Did you see the smile on her face?" Snow gushed with joy as she happily took baby Neal from the arms of his grumpy babysitter, Leroy.

"I don't think we've ever seen her happier, even if we couldn't give her a grand Royal wedding," David replied.

"And she looked so much like a fairytale princess!" Snow continued, still floating on her emotional high from witnessing her beautiful daughter marry her handsome pirate captain.

"I gather the ceremony went okay?" Leroy asked, still a bit miffed that he and his fellow dwarves hadn't been included on the guest list, even though he understood that the stealth of the event meant that not everyone would be able to attend.

"Short and sweet," David responded. "And no Evil Queen. When all of this is said and done with her, we'll make sure that there's a proper reception open to everyone in town."

"Everyone?" Leroy asked sarcastically, knowing at least one resident who wouldn't be welcome. "I still can't believe she actually married the pirate…" he grumbled.

"He's a good man," Snow reminded her old friend. "Killian put those days behind him."

"We'll see. Once a pirate, always a pirate," the dwarf complained as he made his way out of the loft, his task of tending to the youngest prince now complete.

"You know Leroy," David said with a shake of his head once the dwarf was out of earshot. "Always Grumpy…"

"Really, David?" Snow chided his awful pun.

"What can I say? I'm in a good mood and I couldn't resist."

"Don't mind your father," Snow whispered to her infant son. "He's only slightly crazy…"

"Slightly crazy?" David feigned insult at her remark.

"Like I said, don't mind Daddy… But you should have seen your big sister in her beautiful dress! My gorgeous princess is now married to her True Love, and tomorrow they'll take off for a few days on their honeymoon and…"

"And he doesn't need to hear any more of that!" David cut her off. "I don't want to hear any more of that before it starts putting unwanted images into my head."

"Oh, David," Snow smirked, knowing she'd struck an uncomfortable nerve by even daring to mention their daughter's honeymoon plans. She considered bringing up the the gift that she'd left for Emma at the house just to further provoke her husband but decided against it, figuring David would likely start hyperventilating if she began describing the scant little wedding night negligee. She smiled solely for her own benefit at the thought of her daughter having a similar reaction opening the bright pink box she'd left on their dresser. She might be Emma's mother but she still understood and remembered what it was like to be the bride on her wedding night.

"I'm just glad we got through it without any interruption. I was getting worried there for a bit…"

"Worried about me?" a voice called out as a black-clad figure materialized from a purple cloud in the middle of the living room. Every hair on the back of David's neck stood at attention as he cringed in recognition of that voice. "And here I thought you'd forgotten all about me…"

Snow froze, drawing the baby closer to her chest as they were suddenly face to face with the Evil Queen.

"What the hell do you want?" David demanded, reaching for his sword, which rested against the wall behind the door. He instinctively stepped in front of his wife and son trying to sound as authorative as possible, despite being completely petrified with fear.

"I'm just here to deliver my congratulations on your daughter's marriage, and before you start babbling about how I could have possibly known about it, we all know that someone can't keep a secret," the Queen replied, her voice dripping with biting sarcasm.

"I never told a soul!" Snow shouted defensively.

"Who said you actually needed to tell anyone? I could read it all over your face, and the protection spell around the Town Hall was also very revealing," the Queen stated with a shrug of her shoulders. "Too bad no one bothered to realize that your piddly little protection spells aren't any match for my powers. Your daughter was just as surprised to see me when I dropped in to give my regards to the newlyweds." She grinned as a horrified expression drained all color from Snow White's face. The queen was equally pleased to see the mixture of welling anger and concern on the Prince's visage.

"What did you do to Emma?" Snow asked, her voice barely audible as her heart clenched. Something was very wrong…

"Let's just say that your princess and her pirate are getting some long overdue rest," the sorceress laughed heartily as Snow gasped, knowing there was only one reason the Evil Queen would have made such a statement. "You didn't think I could resist giving Storybrooke's savior the same treatment as her mother, did you? Oh, and just to make sure she stays asleep, I made a few tweaks to the usual sleeping curse so it would complicate matters for you - starting with putting the pirate under the same spell." The queen paused to gloat for a moment before delivering the rest of her message. "Oh, and before you go running off in a futile effort to try waking the happy couple, let me save you some time by informing you that under this curse, neither you, Charming nor even Henry will be able to wake Emma. Only her truest love can break the curse - not a parent or a child - just her true romantic love, and since he's slumbering right beside her, I dare you to find a way to put a positive spin on that, Snow White! I made you a promise years ago that I would destroy your happiness and what better way to do it than ensuring that you and your prince here will grow old watching your daughter sleep forever!"

Neither Snow nor David was able to get a response in before the Queen vanished as rapidly as she'd appeared, the sickening echo of her laughter still resonating throughout the loft long after she'd disappeared.

"We've got to get over there!" Snow implored frantically. "We have to find a way to help them!"

Although visibly shaken himself, David tried to remain as calm as possible. "It's a sleeping curse. They're not in any physical danger, and there may not be much we can do."

"I know, but this is our _daughter_. We have to try. We have to try something!"

David threw a comforting arm around his wife and drew her in as tightly as he could to his chest without fear of squishing their son. "We'll call Regina and Zelena," he suggested as his wife's sobs made him even more distraught than he was at the thought that their daughter may have fallen victim to a potentially unbreakable curse. "Maybe they'll have an idea of what we can do."

David certainly hoped he was right.

* * *

"How the bloody hell did she manage to put them both under a sleeping curse?" Zelena exclaimed as she stood in Emma and Killian's parlor, staring down at the soundly sleeping newlyweds who were still in their wedding attire on the hardwood floor. "We're supposed to believe that one or both of them didn't fight back? They certainly fought against me."

"The Evil Queen must have threatened to harm one of them to force the other to comply," David suggested. "It's the only thing I can think of. They must have been trying to protect each other." He turned to face Regina with fatherly concern etched into his features. "Do you think there's anything we can do?"

"I have to say, this is devious, even by my standards," Regina commented, duly impressed by her evil doppelganger's deed.

"These _are_ your standards, Regina," Snow reminded her. "You created the Evil Queen."

"And I'm admiring her work," Regina replied. "She definitely put some thought into this. With both of them under a sleeping curse, there's no chance of a True Love's Kiss breaking the spell. It's really quite brilliant."

And of course, it wasn't what the bride's parents wanted to hear; it left Snow White fretting as Zelena brought up the second part of the curse.

"If what you told us about no one besides a romantic True Love being able to break the curse, there may not be anything we can do for them," the witch said.

"Can we at least get them out of the middle of the living room floor?" Snow pleaded. "I hate that we're gawking at them just lying there." As if on cue, David stooped to lift his daughter from the floor and carry her to the bedroom, but Zelena tapped him on the shoulder to stop him.

"There's an easier way," the witch stated, moving closer to the slumbering couple. "Where is their bedroom?"

"Directly above us," David informed her, pointing at the ceiling as he stood upright again.

"Hold on…" Zelena waved her hand and in a puff of green smoke, transported the newlyweds to their master bedroom, positioning them on their king-sized bed in a surprisingly tender manner. The rest of the party made their way up the stairs to join Zelena in the hallway just outside the bedroom, as she found remaining in the room a bit too voyeuristic, even for her tastes.

"Now, what do we do?" The thought of her daughter being lost forever to a sleeping curse weighed heavily on Snow's mind.

"What can we do?" Zelena responded. "It's an unbreakable curse. There's no way for us to wake one of them so they can wake the other. She made sure of that…"

"Regina, your evil side conjured this curse. Is there anything you might be able to do to lessen the curse? Maybe change it so that Snow or myself or even Henry might be able to wake Emma?" David questioned.

"I don't know," Regina sighed. "I don't think there's any way I can modify a curse after it's been implemented. I can do a little digging and see what I can find, but I really don't think it's going to be possible."

Snow White stood in the doorway, her hand bracing against the frame as she stared at her daughter and new son-in-law, so distraught that a promise made to bring harm to her was now affecting Emma and Killian instead. "So, we just leave them here? And what do we tell Henry? There has to be something we can do… Heroes can break any curse, can't they?" She thought about her last statement for a moment and did a quick double-take. She could have sworn she saw a tear fall from the outer corner of Killian's tightly closed right eye. "What the…?" she asked herself as she hurried into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" David asked, curious as to why his wife was suddenly rushing to the side of their daughter's bed. The entire situation was awkward enough without his wife suddenly hovering above their son-in-law.

"I swear I just saw a tear come from his eye when I was talking about breaking the curse," Snow explained, looking closely at Killian's face to see if there was evidence of a tear.

"That's not possible," Regina stated. "He's under a sleeping curse. How would he be able to react to something you said while sleeping?"

"I don't know how, but I was right," Snow announced, spotting the glistening trace of that tear on Killian's skin. "If he was able to react with a tear, do you think maybe he can hear us?"

Zelena thought about the possibility before offering a theory. "This is a unique situation, so there's certainly a chance… The pirate's the only person I've ever known who's come back from the dead before being placed under a sleeping curse. Perhaps something relating to his resurrection made the curse take hold differently? Maybe he isn't fully under the curse…"

"Is that even possible? That he's caught somewhere in between?" David wondered.

"Possibly," Zelena replied, "although it's not like we can ask him. Hearing us is one thing; being able to respond is entirely another."

"Is there a chance it might make a difference in figuring out a way to wake them?" Snow asked.

"I've never put anyone who'd been previously dead under a sleeping curse," Regina said, scratching her head in frustration. "I don't even know if it would make a difference. This is entirely a new one for me…"

"We have to figure something out," Snow stated. "There has to be a way to break this curse, I'm sure of it," she said confidently, although mostly for her own benefit.

"I'm glad someone can still be optimistic right now," Regina grumbled. "I now have to find an optimistic way to tell my son that his other mother and his new stepfather are now cursed to sleep forever. Care to join me in making that announcement?"

"Of course, we'll help you tell him," Snow offered. "Henry really should hear this from all of us."

"Maybe his position as the Author can get us some insight? Maybe he'll have some idea of how to help Emma and Hook," David suggested.

"Perhaps," Regina replied. "I know he can't interfere, but maybe there's something in the story to give us some clues."

"Well, I don't think this was the wedding night that our newlyweds expected," Zelena quipped. "But I'm all for letting them have some privacy anyway. This is most awkward…"

"Truthfully, I agree with Zelena," David sighed. "Let's get out of their bedroom and see if we can figure out how to wake them." He reached over to wrap his fingers around his wife's upper arm, knowing he might have to carry her out of here. "C'mon, we really should get going, Snow…"

"I know, I know," Snow muttered, pulling away from David's grasp while Zelena vanished in a puff of green smoke. Regina had stepped back into the hallway, but hadn't yet left the premises. "Let me just make sure they're comfortable…" Her mothering instinct kicked in as she started fluffing their pillows and tugged a quilt over the slumbering couple while David shook his head.

"Snow…" he called to his wife. "They'll be fine. I'm sure they'd rather we spend our time working to break the curse rather than worrying if they're warm enough." He finally had to go back into the bedroom and half-drag Snow out to the top of the stairs where Regina stood.

"I should probably head to the vault to start some research. I'm sure Zelena's already heading there. Do you think you could please talk to Henry while we try to figure out what my evil half did to doctor this curse? I left him over at Granny's when our dinner was interrupted by this news," Regina implored.

"Yeah, of course," David replied. "We'll pick him up and bring him back to the loft for the night so you don't have to worry about him. We'll try to break the news as gently as possible."

"Thank you. I'll call you if we come up with anything." Regina stated before she poofed away, leaving the Charmings alone in their daughter's eerily quiet home. Snow took one last glance into the master bedroom, as David urged her down the stairs.

"Let's go get our grandson," he insisted. "This isn't going to be the easiest news to deliver…"

* * *

"Wait…they're… they're _BOTH_ under a sleeping curse?!" Henry exclaimed, jumping up from the table, wondering if he'd heard his grandparents correctly. "Both Mom and Killian?"

"I'm afraid so," David replied, trying his best to explain what they knew so far without upsetting the teen. "We don't really know the circumstances, but they're both cursed. Regina and Zelena are down in the vault searching for anything that might help us break the curse. The Evil Queen made this one even more difficult because she added a new adaptation to the recipe, making it even harder to break…"

"Why can't I just kiss mom like she kissed me to wake me up?" Henry wondered. "Then she could kiss Killian…"

"It's not that simple, Henry," Snow spoke up as she placed Neal into his playpen. "The Evil Queen added a twist to this curse so that only their romantic True Love can break the curse. Parent or child love won't work."

"But they can't give each other True Love's Kiss if they're both cursed," Henry lamented as the reality sunk in. It was a brilliant villain move – take out the heroine and her True Love. "There has to be something we can do though. Every curse can be broken!"

"And your mom and aunt are doing everything they can to find a way to break it. It won't be easy, though" David told him. "Your mother just has to remember what it was like to think like her evil self and find the loophole. No curse has ever been ironclad…"

"Because the villains always underestimate how tough the heroes are," Henry finished David's sentence with a weak half-smile. "Maybe there's something in the book that will give us a clue?"

"Maybe," Snow replied, a tiny grin curling her lips for the first time since they'd learned about the curse. "Let's go get the book and we'll search it for clues. Wouldn't be the first time it pointed is in the right direction."

Evening descended on Storybrooke but with the stress of the day's events, Henry couldn't sleep. Even though he was tired, he couldn't shake the irony: how was he supposed to sleep when they needed to find a way to break a sleeping curse? He was the Author, not that it was doing anyone any good. What good was it to have this power if he couldn't help his mother any more now than he had in the Underworld? He couldn't write the curse away.

There was also a part of his mind that feared falling asleep. Feared a nightmare pulling him back into that fire filled room where he might encounter his mother. What would he tell her? _Sorry, Mom. My Author powers aren't enough to wake you and Killian. Today was supposed to be one of the happiest of your life and I couldn't even write you a happy ending…_

None of this was his fault, but he still felt guilty.

Since finding Emma in Boston, Henry had never seen such a huge smile light up her face as the one visible when Archie had announced Killian and her Husband and Wife. He'd witnessed a moment of pure joy, his mother unburdened by the demands of being the town sheriff and savior, but maybe something Emma had said earlier had been true: maybe the savior didn't get to have a happy ending.

He quickly shrugged that thought out of his head while glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was nearly four AM and he figured everyone else was sound asleep at this hour. There wasn't anyone to share his insomnia with, so he just lay there thinking - thinking about the happy moments they'd experienced earlier and the things they'd all said and done. He thought about the sight of his mother in her shimmering wedding gown (and the stunned look on Killian's face when he first saw his bride). He thought about Archie's words during the ceremony and the bride and groom's short but profound vows - and then something struck him…

There was a phrase that Archie had used at the beginning of the ceremony - _Joining their hearts and minds in matrimony._ Something about that particular phrase was nagging at him and now Henry was wide awake wondering if the answer could really be that simple? It might only be four AM but he needed everyone to hear his idea, so he jumped out of bed and threw on his robe as quickly as he could before bounding down the loft stairs to wake his grandparents. He'd worry about asking for their forgiveness for the pre-dawn wake-up call later because if he was right, they'd be able to awaken his mom and Killian too.

When her son's call startled her at 3:54AM, Regina hadn't yet found her way to bed either. Her eyelids were beginning to droop after spending too many hours in the dim light of her vault reading her mother's handwritten journals so she was barely able to make sense of Henry's excited babbling. He'd said something about a way he thought they might be able to break the curse, but he wouldn't say much more over the phone. He'd begged her to come to the Charmings' loft. It seemed invasive at this ungodly hour until she heard Snow White's voice in the background, which meant Henry had already awakened his grandparents with his theory. He also wanted her to bring Zelena but Regina drew the line there. By no means was she going to wake the Wicked Witch of the West at four AM - not unless she had a very compelling reason to do so.

* * *

A little after 4:30, a very bedraggled Prince Charming pulled open the door when Regina knocked, the dark circles beneath his eyes proving that perhaps no one had really slept tonight.

"Regina," David greeted her unceremoniously as she stepped through the doorway.

"David," Regina replied with the same _too early in the damned morning for pleasantries_ tone.

Henry sprang up from his seat at the table to greet her the moment she entered. "Mom! Where's Aunt Zelena?"

"I'm not calling my sister at this hour, at least not until I know why we're all here at 4:30AM…"

"He hasn't really told us anything either," David stated as he pushed the door closed. "He just ran in and woke us up with an announcement that he thinks he knows how to break the curse."

"I think there's something the Evil Queen overlooked," the boy said cryptically.

"Okay, I'll bite," Regina replied skeptically. "Sit down and let's hear your theory. It honestly can't be any crazier than some of the things my mother dreamt up…"

"Those are things I don't even want to know," Snow cringed at the mere thought of Cora and her evil spells.

"Don't worry," Regina responded. "I read through more of her old spellbooks and journals than I ever want to see again. None of her spells had anything to do with breaking curses, although I did learn a few new ones that she'd never told me about…"

"Now is not the time to talk about new evil spells," Snow chided. "I just hope you managed to hide them where your evil half won't find them."

"I burned them. All of them." Regina's confession surprised them, but it was understandable at the same time. "I wasn't going to let any of those spells fall into Queenie's manicured little hands…"

"Wow, I'm stunned that you did that," David stated.

"Truthfully, so am I. I can't believe I actually destroyed them all, but that's a discussion for another time. Let's hear what Henry has to say…"

"Thanks, Mom," Henry smiled, returning to his chair. "I don't know why, but when I couldn't get to sleep, I started replaying Mom and Killian's wedding in my head. I thought about how happy they'd been while trying to make myself feel better about what was going on, and while I was thinking about everything, I remembered something that Archie had said…"

"Something Dr. Hopper said?" David asked. "How could something the wedding officiant said have anything to do with breaking a sleeping curse?"

"Yes, something Archie said," Henry repeated. "At the beginning of the ceremony, he said something about how Mom and Killian were joining their hearts and minds in matrimony."

"That's a pretty standard wedding ceremony clause, Henry," Snow said. "Why do you think it's so significant?"

Henry took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, it got me thinking about how you and Grandpa share a heart…"

"That's a little different," David countered. "Snow gave me half of her heart to save my life when she cast the curse to bring us back from the Enchanted Forest. It didn't have anything to do with a sleeping curse so I don't think that sharing hearts will help in this situation."

"No, that's not what I meant," Henry said exasperatedly. "I'm not talking about _shared_ hearts - that just gave me the idea. I'm talking about _joined_ hearts."

"Joined hearts?" Regina questioned, mirroring David's confusion. "Explain, young man…"

"Okay, so we know that Mom and Killian can't share a True Love's Kiss because they're both cursed, but if we joined their hearts, would that maybe be like their hearts sharing a kiss?"

"You mean physically removing their hearts and pressing them together like a kiss?" Snow asked, intrigued at this idea he'd thought up.

"It's a little gross, I know, but do you think it could work?" the teen wondered.

"I don't know…" Regina replied with a sigh. "I've never tried anything like that…"

"It's an interesting idea, Henry," Snow smiled to encourage her grandson, but she also remembered what had happened in the Underworld when Emma had attempted to share her heart with Killian and didn't want to see a repeat of that disappointment.

"It's a pretty risky idea," Regina thought out loud. "I don't even know if I'd be able to remove their hearts either. I'm pretty sure Emma would have protected their hearts, same as I did with yours, so the Evil Queen couldn't try to take them."

"I'm almost positive she did," David lamented, aggravatedly rubbing his temple. They might be back to square one.

"Is there any way that you or Aunt Zelena might be able to break through the protection spell?" Henry asked.

"Possibly. I know Zelena somehow managed to get around a protection spell before, but Emma would still have to give permission for her heart to be removed. I'm not sure she'd be able to do that while under a sleeping curse. Never had that experience myself…"

"What if we could communicate with her?" Snow suggested. "Like you did with Aurora, Henry, and like Charming did with me - through that inferno room in the dream world. Everyone who's been under a sleeping curse ends up there at some point and Emma knew about it because that's how we were able to get messages through to Storybrooke when we were trapped in the Enchanted Forest."

"Snow's right," David chimed in. "If we can find Emma there, maybe she can access enough of her magic somehow to lower the protection spell? One of us can try to reach her in the dream world and get the message to her."

"Okay, but what about the pirate?" Regina asked.

"If you and Zelena can't break the protection spell, we have to hope that Emma can do it in her sleep," Snow said, trying to remain positive. "All we can do is try…"

"Snow, yesterday you said you saw a tear fall from Hook's eye," David recalled. "Maybe we have another way to get our message through…"

"It was right after I said that heroes can always break curses," Snow responded. "I think he heard me and that was the only way he could let us know. He may not be as deeply under the curse, but he can't wake himself."

"Then if he's at least partially conscious, he can deliver our message to Emma," David said. "We just tell him to find the fire chamber and Emma should be there. She'd definitely go there if she knows one of us can speak to her in a dream."

"This all might just be crazy enough to work," Regina replied with a flustered shake of her head. "I guess I'd better go wake my sister and see if she's got a protection spell breaker up her green sleeves."

"Okay. We'll head over to Emma's place and meet you there," David said. "And then, hopefully, Emma can use some of her magic while she's sleeping."

* * *

The first rays of morning sunshine were beginning to filter through the curtains covering their master bedroom windows when Emma and Killian's family once again congregated around them. The newlyweds lay as still as the previous day, but there was one distinct difference in the atmosphere this morning - today there was a renewed glimmer of hope. Of course, that hope hinged on so many things coming together and working in their favor. They needed to break through the protection spell on the couple's hearts or have Emma magically lower it entirely if she was able to while cursed to sleep. It certainly wasn't unheard of to use magic in the dreamscape. Rumple had entered Belle's dream and used magic to wake her, but he'd entered the dream world voluntarily. Emma might not know how to use her magic in that world, so it could prove challenging, although not necessarily impossible.

"Do you think Emma remembers your conversation about the inferno room?" David asked his wife as they stood at the foot of their daughter's bed.

"I hope so," Snow answered. "I have to believe that she'd remember we used that room to communicate with Storybrooke."

"And just how are we going to do this _communicating_?" A clearly _not happy to be awake at this hour_ Zelena questioned. "It could take weeks for us to figure out a way to break her protection spell, so do you happen to have a bloody Plan B?"

"We're going to go with the assumption that Hook can hear us," Regina explained. "Obviously, there's no way to be certain until we get a sign, but if he can hear us, he can find Emma in the fire chamber that Snow and Charming were talking about and have her try to remove the protection spell first. If she can do that, we'll be able to pull out their hearts and put Henry's theory to the test."

"And just how will we know if your message gets through?" Zelena continued to be skeptical of this whole idea.

"If they make it into that room, we should be able to tell. The place may be in the dreamscape, but those flames cause very real burns on the skin when you get too close," David explained.

"It isn't a place they can stay very long, but if I know Killian Jones, he's already searching for Emma in that nightmare world," Snow stated with confidence. "Killian, you just have to find that inferno room and tell Emma to try lowering the protection spells," she continued, speaking directly to her son-in-law now. "I know you'll find her. You always do and I know she'll be able to use her magic so that we can get to your hearts. I know it sounds crazy, but we're going to try joining them to break the curse. It will work. I know it will work."

Zelena rolled her eyes as she plopped herself onto the wingback chair that sat in the bedroom corner. "Let me know when we get to the part where we're pulling out hearts…"

"Let's give the pirate some time to get the message through. If it doesn't work, someone else is going to have to try to reach Emma," Regina reminded them. "Someone who's already been cursed and can get to the room."

"If it comes to that, I'll do it," David volunteered. "But right now, I'm trusting my son-in-law."

* * *

In his hundreds of years of existence, Killian Jones had encountered more than his share of unfathomable situations, but until now, a sleeping curse hadn't been one of them. This was an entirely new experience, and not a particularly pleasant one at that. He'd always assumed that a sleeping curse meant just that - sleeping, but this strange realm was like nothing he could have imagined. Even his stay in the Underworld, as horrendous as it was, was at least as awful as he'd expected. This cursed realm was an entirely different form of torture - one that clearly sought to drive him mad.

He had no way of knowing how long he'd been cursed to slumber as time was apparently irrelevant when you slept. He'd simply found himself wandering through corridor after corridor of mirrors, encountering nothing but his own reflection at every turn. And as if the mirrored chamber was not maddening enough, he'd started hearing the voices.

At first, they were jumbled; a few words here and there that he could comprehend. With little else to focus his mind on, he began to concentrate on those voices, realizing quickly that he knew the people speaking. David. Snow. Regina. He'd no idea why he could hear them speaking, but he strained his ears to listen to their conversation, discovering they were in fact discussing his and Emma's current dilemma. Unfortunately, it sounded as though they'd reached the same conclusion he had: without a True Love's Kiss, the curse appeared unbreakable.

He'd sunk to the mirrored floor and stared at this own face as the reality gradually sunk in that he'd likely never lay eyes on his beautiful wife again. He'd envisioned her features, and as emotions and frustrations overwhelmed him, a single tear trailed down his cheek. He'd had no clue at that moment that the glistening tear he could see reflected back at him had also been visible to Snow White as their voices had already fallen silent again.

It felt as though an eternity had passed before the sweet sound of another human voice greeted him and this time, he knew the voice instantly.

 _Emma_.

He could hear her crying, calling out to someone from whatever abyss she'd landed in. She sounded so far away, and at first, he honestly wasn't certain if her voice was real or merely a figment of his imagination. She wouldn't know he was here in this bizzare dream world either so he shouted back, hoping she'd hear him and answer. Hoping it would give him a clue as to where she was and what direction he needed to take to get out of this aggravating hall of mirrors. But her voice simply echoed throughout the chamber, assaulting him from every direction, which only added to his frustrations. He soon started taking out his anger on the mirrors, slamming his hook into the glass, shattering them one by one, but to his dismay, as he destroyed one, another popped up to take its place.

Just what the bloody hell was this place?

But then, from some distant plane, he heard his mother-in-law's voice once again, and this time, she was speaking directly to him.

 _Killian… find Emma in the inferno room… Tell her… Lowering protection spells… Join your hearts to break the curse…_

He wasn't able to make out all of what Snow was telling him, but he picked up enough of it to understand he was supposed to find an inferno room. "Inferno room? What bloody inferno room?" he asked aloud. He was trapped in a chamber of nothing but mirrors and he was supposed to find a room of fire? Maybe this place actually was Hell.

As if on cue, he noticed that a flickering little flame had flared up in the lower corner of the mirrors. What sorcery was this? He spun himself around, trying to see where the flame originated, but all of the mirrors looked the same. Was there no way out of this torture chamber?

He smashed the sharpened point of his hook through yet another mirror, sending shards of razor sharp glass flying once again, one of which caught his cheek, leaving behind a shallow cut. He wiped at the blood it had drawn with his fingertips, curious as to how one could be hurt in a dream, but a little blood wasn't going to deter him. He would find this inferno room somehow and he would find his Swan.

* * *

"Where did that come from?" Snow White asked as a bright red slash suddenly appeared across Killian's left cheek. "Is that blood?"

"The mirror room!" David exclaimed. "He must have gotten cut smashing one of the mirrors!"

"Oh my gosh, I'd forgotten about those!" his wife replied excitedly. "He's trying to get to the fire room!"

"He has to smash through the floor. It's the only way out," David recalled. "Hook! The floor! Break the floor!"

Regina and Zelena shared an exasperated glance across the bedroom to which Zelena gave a shrug of her shoulders. They had absolutely know idea what the Charmings were talking about but Henry certainly did.

"It's below you, Killian!" Henry shouted, although it seemed silly to shout at a sleeping man without knowing if his words had any effect. Had Killian actually received their instructions or was he merely following his own intuition when he began shattering mirrors, simply trying whatever he could do to find the exit? If only there were a way they could know for sure…

* * *

 _Break the floor._

Killian heard David's voice loud and clear, followed by Henry informing him that the chamber he sought was beneath his feet. Such trickery made no sense, but then what here did? He stomped forcefully with the heel of his boot, then repeated the motion, but the glass had barely cracked so he dropped to his knees and began to assail the floor with his hook. New cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact until the flooring gave way beneath him.

In an instant, his body was colliding with a marble floor comprised of alternating black and white tiles. The landing knocked the wind out of him, but he quickly assessed that nothing appeared to be broken. He would undoubtedly have a few bruises to show for his efforts later though - and likely some burns, he thought as he perused his new surroundings. Flames were surrounding him, shooting up from unseen jets in the floor, prepared to scorch anything or anyone who attempted to traverse the room.

Pushing himself back up into a standing position, he was immediately forced backward a step as an eight foot tall column of flame appeared before him. "Oh, bloody hell!" he cursed as the flame singed a few hairs from the back of his hand. "It's just a dream," he reminded himself aloud. "Just a miserable damned dream…"

He tried to ignore the omnipresent blazing walls as his eyes adjusted to the different light and could now make out the silhouette of another person on the opposite end of the chamber. It had to be Emma, his heart told him as it skipped a beat in anticipation, but how would he get to her? A single step forward sent a new flare shooting toward the ceiling.

"Emma?" he called out, uncertain if she would be able to hear him. Were they both really in this same chamber or was it another illusion? "Emma? Is that you?"

Emma had known to come to this room, known how to find it after listening to her mother's stories and she'd made her way to this area of the dream world quickly in hopes one of her parents would meet her here and tell her that Killian was searching for her to break the curse. His was the last voice she was expecting to hear right now.

"Killian?" she shouted back, her eyes scanning left and right in search of his form. "Killian, how are you here? You shouldn't be here. I took on the curse to keep you safe…"

"Swan! I know why you did it, but the Evil Queen…, she had other plans. As soon as you were under her curse, she stabbed me with something and cursed me as well. I'm here now and your parents have a message for you. They want you to lower the protection spell on our hearts."

"How do you know that?" she replied, skeptically. "If you're cursed too, how would you know what they want me to do?"

"I can hear them, Love," he explained while trying to inch around the fires to make a path to his wife. "Are you not able to hear their voices?"

"I'm under a sleeping curse, Killian! How would I hear them? They told me that this room was the only way to communicate with someone else who'd been cursed through dreams. No one said anything about hearing voices!"

"I don't know how I can hear them, but I can. Does your magic work here?"

"Not on these flames. I already tried that. Maybe magic isn't supposed to work in a sleeping cursed nightmare… How do you know the voices aren't a trick anyway?"

"Because they led me to you," he stated.

"But you can't reach me. If you try to reach me, the flames will just get higher."

"I didn't get this far to be deterred by mere fire," he assured her as he shrugged off the heavy wool coat, heaving it into the flames as he surged forward. Using the coat to damper the flames, he sprinted toward Emma, sparks licking at his exposed skin. He was thankful for long sleeves and thick boots offering some protection as the coat disintegrated to ash, but he didn't see it. His eyes were locked only on Emma as he plowed through the last blaze separating them, inadvertently tackling his wife as they both tumbled to the marble.

"Are you insane?" she scolded him until he silenced her by pressing his lips to hers. After indulging in a blissful reunion embrace, Killian apologized that he'd pinned her to the floor, pushing himself upright and extending a hand to help his bride to her feet. Smoothing out the skirt of her billowing gown, she continued to chastise his judgement. "You could have been burned to death out there! And you did get burned - look at your hand! And you're cut too…"

"I'm fine, Love," he promised her, unconcerned for the minor blistering on the back of his hand or the cut on his face. "If we're to get out of here though, we need the protection spell removed. Are you able to do that?"

"I don't know…," she sighed. "Any idea why they need it lowered though?"

"I could only make out something your mother said about joining our hearts to break the spell."

"Join our hearts? What does that mean?"

"'Fraid I've no idea. I'm just the bearer of that message."

"Are we sure this isn't another of the Evil Queen's tricks? How do we know it's the right thing to do?"

"Emma, if the Evil Queen had intended to kill us, she would have done it. She wants to keep us trapped here, but I believe you can defeat her plan. I know you can lower the spell and I believe our family's plan will work. You just have to believe you can do it."

Emma stared into her husband's bright blue eyes, momentarily captivated by how much they sparkled when reflecting the flames. This man had always had so much faith in her and while she was happy they were back together, she didn't want to spend an eternity trapped in this hell so she squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated, trying to awaken the magic within her.

* * *

"Anything?" Regina asked, growing increasingly impatient while waiting for a sign. "How long is this going to take?"

"There's no way to know. There's not a way to keep track of time in that world," David replied. "What seems like minutes to us could be an eternity to them. We know he's on the right track - look at the blisters on his hand. He's in the inferno room."

"But has he found Emma?" Regina griped. "I'm only concerned with that, not whether or not he burned his hand."

"I'm sure they'll give us some kind of sign," Snow stated, still optimistic this was the right plan; she squeezed David's hand tightly as they waited.

Before their eyes, a bright white glow illuminated the sleeping couple's chests, directly above their hearts.

"Zelena, now's the time to pull out a heart," Regina called to her grumbling sister who stood up and strolled to the bedside. "On three, I'll take Emma's and you get Hook's?" Zelena nodded as Henry and the Charmings stood watching. Regina counted before the sisters plunged their hands into each of the newlyweds' chest cavities, pulling out their glowing ruby hearts. "Okay, Henry, let's see if this plan of yours works…"

Zelena passed Hook's heart to her sister who held both out in front of her and slowly, pressed them together, but there was no flash of light, no burst of energy. The plan may have failed, but Zelena had a suggestion. "Perhaps just touching the hearts together isn't enough? Maybe we actually have to physically join them. Hand me the pirate's heart back…" Regina passed the glowing heart back across the bed and was shocked when her sister immediately broke the heart into two pieces. "Wasn't this part of what they'd planned to do in the Underworld - share a heart like Mummy and Daddy do? Break Emma's in two and then give me half…"

Now Regina understood what her sister was doing: she planned to give Emma half of Hook's heart and do the same for him - literally joining the hearts. Twisting Emma's heart into two pieces, she traded halves with Zelena and then each pushed the shared halves back into a whole, but still, there was no magical whoosh.

"Put them back in their bodies now," Henry insisted. "That will make them each whole again." Zelena nodded at Regina indicating she was ready and they simultaneously shoved the hearts back in place to a blinding blast of light.

In unison, the newlyweds blinked and Emma sprang up, immediately self-conscious realizing that her family was surrounding the king-sized bed she shared with her husband. Killian sat up slower, unfazed by the audience as his only concern was his wife's well-being, although before he could move to embrace Emma, he was thwarted by his bandit mother-in-law. Snow lunged into Emma, nearly knocking her into Killian as she threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Emma! I'm so happy that worked!" Snow exclaimed with a giddy smile.

"Mom… you're crushing my rib cage…" Emma stammered until Snow finally released her. "Thank you… I much prefer being able to breathe."

"Sorry. Guess I got a bit carried away," Snow replied, cheeks flushing.

"I suppose I should thank all of you for the instructions," Killian stated as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm not certain how long it would have taken me to find Emma if not for your guidance."

"You really could hear us?" Henry asked.

"Aye. Not clearly, but enough to get your message," Killian told him.

"Do I even want to know how long we were lying here?" Emma asked.

"Only since yesterday. Henry came up with the idea of how to break the curse, but we didn't know if you could lower the protection spell while sleeping," Regina explained. "Clearly, you've given that answer…"

"What precisely did you do?" Killian wondered. "I heard something about joining hearts?"

"That's exactly what we did," Zelena responded. "You each now possess half of the other's heart. Isn't that romantic?"

"So, we share our hearts now after all?" Emma asked, her eyes meeting Killian's as they both affirmed the significance.

"Well, now that this latest crisis is over, I say we leave the newlyweds alone," Regina stated. "I'm curious to see how long it will take before the Evil Queen realizes she failed…"

"I hope this proves to her that good will always defeat evil," Snow White grinned. "Now, how about we all head to Granny's to celebrate our victory?"

"Can we meet everyone there later?" Emma queried. "I desperately need a shower first to scrub away the sweat and ash from that awful room." Snow nodded, smirking and blushing ever so slightly as her eyes drifted to the unopened, wrapped gift still resting atop the dresser.

"How about an hour? I need to pick up Robin from the sitter first," Zelena offered and the others agreed. Her words were only half the truth though because there was something else she needed to do.

* * *

Zelena smiled as she lifted her squirming infant daughter from her cradle. "Hello, sweet girl. Mummy's here. You weren't too much trouble now, were you?" The witch raised her head to meet the gaze of the visitor seated at her kitchen table. "I see you fared better at babysitting than you did at cursing…"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" the Evil Queen demanded.

"Emma and the pirate are awake. Even without True Love's Kiss, the heroes managed to break your curse. You failed and Emma proved that her magic just might be more powerful than yours."

"Impossible," the queen scoffed, but the smirk on Zelena's face seemed to confirm her words. "How?"

"You'll have to ask the young Author - he figured it out. Either way, they foiled your plans, Sis." Zelena collected the pink blanket hanging on the side of the cradle and wrapped it around the baby. "Now, Robin and I are off to a little impromptu victory breakfast. Don't be here when I get back." And with that, the witch poofed away in an emerald cloud, the cackle of her laughter still echoing through the farmhouse long after she'd vanished. Zelena wasn't tethering herself to the losing side. Time to congratulate the newlyweds and celebrate winning this battle.


End file.
